Collared
by emberelle
Summary: After the events of "Every Dog Has Its Day;" Beast Boy struggles with memories from his past. Robin isn't going to let him struggle alone; nor will his tormentors go unpunished. But will Robin go too far in seeking revenge?


Author's Note:

Well, this became much longer than I meant it to…

My friend Leslie is a huge Teen Titans fan, and she is really sick right now; so all she can do is sit and watch old DVDs and give me prompts for fanfictions. And she is insistent. Haha. Anyway, I had the idea for Beast Boy getting kidnapped and put in a collar; then we watched "Every Dog Has Its Day" and I just made this a tag off of it. Which is why it is longer than most tags. This really didn't have much point; just a little thing I wrote with prompts Leslie gave me. Review if you like. :) On with the story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing…if I owned Robin I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfictions about him. ;)

Robin reluctantly opened his eyes, avoiding looking at the clock. It was way too early in the morning taunt himself by confirming how much sleep he was losing. He was being stupid about this. After all, Beast Boy was fine. The somewhat immature alien hadn't even put up a fight. Well…he remembered the tree trunk and amended that statement to too _much _of a fight. The Titans had had dinner, the boys played a couple rounds of video games and everyone turned in for the night.

But something had been off with Beast Boy all night. He had been unusually quiet during dinner and it was apparent he was not playing to win…which was not like him at all. Robin rolled over, running his hand through his hair roughly.

"Come on. You are completely overreacting about this." He said out loud, startled by the sound his own voice. "Well, so what if I am?"

He couldn't help it. The green changeling was the youngest of the Titans, not only in age but personality. Even though he rarely showed it, Robin had always felt a special protectiveness over him, even though the boy annoyed him constantly. Which was why he couldn't sleep, concerned over the haunted look in his teammate's eyes. Robin groaned. "Look, just go check on the kid, see that he is _just fine_, and then get some sleep." He sat up and fixed his mask. He realized he had forgotten to change into his pajamas, and sighed. He really _was _worried. He quietly crept down the halls to Beast Boy's room, careful not to wake anyone.

He tapped on Beast Boy's door lightly, knowing if Beast Boy was sleeping he would not hear it. Robin frowned when he heard a slight whimper.

"Beast Boy?" Robin called out softly. The whimper came again, and Robin tried the door. It was not locked and slid open.

"Hello?" He looked around the messy room, not seeing his green friend anywhere. Usually Beast Boy was curled up on the top of his bed, hugging his pillow and talking in his sleep. But not tonight.

Robin heard that whimpering again. He located it coming from one corner of the darkened room, under a bundle of wrinkled spare bedclothes. He turned on one of the lamps and sat on the bottom bunk bed.

"I know you are under there. You wanna come out?" Robin said after a moment. The clothes moved and a little green kitten came crawling out. After a second, the kitten morphed into Beast Boy. He sat on the ground, not looking at his leader.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked, cocking his head at his friend.

"Super." The changeling answered, still not meeting Robin's concerned face.

"You don't have to lie to me, BB. What's wrong?"

For the longest time the green Titan said nothing. Then he finally spoke. "It's just…I forgot how much I hated being in a collar. People making me change on command. I hate it. It reminds me…" Beast Boy trailed off. "I didn't even think about it when I was on the ship, you know? I just wanted to get free and get home. But…after it was all over…it came back. All those…old memories."

The changeling buried his head in his arms. Robin slid off the bed and sat on the floor right next to Beast Boy. "Memories?"

"I….I've always been a freak. People were sure to let me know that. Especially after my parents..." He broke off stiffly. "I don't want to talk about them."

Robin started. He had always assumed Beast Boy was an orphan, but he never spoke of them.

The younger boy continued. "There was a time…before I started with the Doom Squad…I was on my own. I…was with a traveling freak show. The guy that ran it was really mean and made me wear this really tight collar, like I was some kind of dangerous animal. He made me change whenever he cracked his whip; if I didn't…" He trailed off again. "He'd make sure I regretted it later, after the show."

Robin felt his fists clench in anger against someone he had never met. "Beast Boy…I'm sorry."

"It's all good." The green boy shrugged. "I finally escaped from there…joined the Doom Squad…you know the rest."

Robin was silent; what could he say?

Beast Boy ducked his head down hugging his knees to his chest. "That collar…it just made me remember all that. I'll be okay. You don't have to stay with me."

"You really want me to go?" Robin asked quietly.

"No." Beast Boy said honestly.

"Then I'll stay." Robin said simply. There was a moment of silence, then Robin spoke again.

"Are you cold? You keep shivering."

"No….just….remembering." The answer was so quiet Robin barely heard it.

Robin longed to ask what, exactly, Beast Boy was remembering. But he remained quiet, knowing Beast Boy would tell him if he wanted. He didn't have to wait long.

"He wouldn't feed me. Said he couldn't possibly know what to feed something that was always changing. He said I wasn't even human. And the collar he made me wear would dig into my neck so bad it would bleed." He paused. "The worst thing, though, was the box. He would lock me in the completely dark box, no light, no nothing. He had this alarm system so I couldn't escape…I wouldn't see a single person for days."

Robin could see how that would be the worst thing for Beast Boy. Because of all of his animal tendencies, he would have the craving for attention and companionship that most animals have, especially humans.

"By the time he would let me out I would be so starved for attention I would do whatever. Include being part of his little freak show." BB's voice was so quiet by this time Robin could barely hear him.

Robin swallowed hard, trying to keep his anger in. He wanted to ask Beast Boy the name of this man, so he could track him down. No one hurt one of his friends, one of his teammates. Ever. But he didn't trust himself to speak.

"I'll be okay. You should go back to bed." Beast Boy said, finally looking at Robin. "You don't have to stay."

"Again, do you want me to go?" Robin asked, knowing the answer.

"No." Beast Boy's eyes were pleading. "I…keep having nightmares…"

"Then I am not going anywhere." Robin smiled, scooting over until he was right next to the green boy. "I'm sorry I'm such a pain." Beast Boy said sadly.

"You're not a pain, Beast Boy. Well…sometimes you are." Robin tried to make the boy smile, and it worked; a slight grin flashed across his face for one second. "But you're our pain. And I will always be here for you, if you need a friend."

Beast Boy smiled. "You mean that?"

"I swear it." Robin smiled.

They made small talk for a while, talking about video games and anything other than their respective pasts. Finally, Beast Boy fell asleep, propped against Robin's shoulder. Robin's last thought before dropping off was that his entire right side was numb from the weight leaning against him.

Cyborg was worried. He couldn't find Robin anywhere, and he really, really needed to tell the Titan Leader about a potential new weapon he wanted to design. He had to have Robin's permission anytime he designed something that involved fire, however. They didn't want to relive the flamethrower/spare tire incident. He made rounds of the training courses, work-out rooms, TV room, kitchen…anywhere Robin could be. It was late morning and by this time the masked teen should be-predictably- working on his field training. It was almost an obsession with him. But he was nowhere to be found. The girls mentioned they hadn't seen him all morning. Or Beast Boy either, for that matter, but that wasn't unusual. The runt slept in whenever he could. But maybe the kid could help him find Robin.

"Beast Boy?" He rapped on the door. When there was no response, he began to get concerned. "BB? You okay?"

He overrode the door with his passcode-everyone had one in case of emergencies. Now, this might not be an emergency, but he could apologize later. The sight that met his eyes when the door slid open shocked him at first, then his face softened into a smile.

Robin was sitting on the floor, back against the bed, obviously sleeping. He was hugging Beast Boy close and Beast Boy was leaning against him, with Robin's cape pulled around him. He whimpered slightly and almost instantly Robin pulled him closer comfortingly. Cyborg couldn't help but grin at the sight of their tough, closed-off leader being so….protective. The whole kidnapping affair must have been harder on the little changeling then he thought; if Robin had to stay with the kid it had to be bad.

He shifted slightly and Robin's head shot up, eyes narrowed to access a possible threat. When he saw Cyborg he relaxed, though he blushed faintly.

He looked down at Beast Boy and tried to release him. Beast Boy, still sleeping, grabbed onto his arms and whimpered. Robin glanced hopelessly back up at Cyborg and shrugged. The half robotic teen smiled and nodded, then backed out slowly.

About twenty minutes later Cyborg was startled from his work on the T-car when Robin appeared soundlessly beside him. He never could figure out how Robin could do that sneaky thing he did, but it had saved their lives dozens of times. He just wished the Titan wouldn't do it when he was working on his baby. He rolled out from under the hood and looked up at his leader.

"So, what was that all about with Beast Boy? Is he okay?" The concern was apparent in the elder teen's voice.

"He will be." Robin said, leaning against the wall, folding his arms. "I think I understand him better now. Why he does what he does."

"Can you share or is it a secret?" Cyborg asked, curious.

"Well…he didn't say it was a secret but I will not mention specifics anyway." Robin sighed. "Let's just say he had a really hard time of it when he was younger."

"With the Doom Squad?" Cyborg frowned .

"Before. That's the reason he hates being alone. And probably why he eats so much too." Robin mused. Being starved for days on end…no wonder the kid ate everything in sight when he could.

Cyborg didn't even bother asking for an explanation, just nodded.

"Just keep an eye on him, okay?" Robin said. "We need to keep him busy for a little while. He said he'd be fine…let's just make sure of that."

"Not a problem." Cyborg nodded. "You got a plan?"

"Yeah, I'm going to have him train with me today."

Cyborg's eyes widened. While Robin participated in the group trainings…he always practiced by himself. No one even got to see him train. Being invited to work with Robin was an honor Beast Boy would never refuse.

"Good idea." Cyborg nodded. Robin approved the plans for the new fire cannon and left to find Beast Boy. The green boy was eating lunch-it was too late for breakfast- and looked up eagerly when Robin stood in front of the table.

"Hey Robin, thanks for talking with me last night. I never told anyone about that before…I think it really helped…" He smiled a genuine Beast Boy smile.

Robin grinned. "Anytime. I meant what I said; I'm always here for you."

He was shocked half a second later when Beast Boy jumped over the table and hugged him.

"Beast…Boy….can't…breathe…" He wheezed.

"No one has ever said that to me before." Beast Boy said softly. "I never heard anyone say they would be there for me."

Robin started blinking hard behind his mask and returned the hug, then backed up slightly. Beast Boy stepped back as well.

"Beast Boy…we are all here for you."

"Right. Even if I screw up, right? Cause we are a team." Beast Boy smiled.

"No. We are a family." Robin put his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder and smiled.

"Oh! Right! Cause Raven and Starfire are like my sisters and you and Cyborg are like my big brothers!" Beast Boy said excitedly. "And Aqualad is like our weirdo cousin!"

Robin sighed. "Don't ruin the family moment, please."

"Oh. Sorry." Beast Boy looked sheepish.

"It's okay." Robin folded his arms. "So…I was thinking of asking you to train with me today. Up to it?"

Beast Boy's face broke into the biggest grin he had ever seen. "You mean it? Train with you?"

Robin nodded, then was almost blown over by the green whirlwind running past him.

"Race you to the training field!" He heard the changeling yell. He retained his dignity and followed slowly…until he was out of sight of the girls in the living room. Then he took off after his friend.

Later that night, Robin slid open the envelope that had been left under his door by Cyborg. He had asked the research expert to find some information on any freak show advertising a shapeshifter in the last few years. Cyborg asked no questions; he was smart enough to put two and two together and figure out what Robin was not saying. The information was clear and well detailed. There were only two shows advertising shapeshifters, but one of the shows had been exposed as a fake. That left only the other one. It was still in practice, but only in the seediest areas of towns. The one star show was run by someone named Freddy Krinwell. Robin studied the picture, then crumbled it in his hand roughly. The show was in a town about an hour away. It was worth the drive, but he had to be sure. He got on his own computer and typed in a search request. Sure enough, the website for the show had an archive of videos stretching back years. He clicked on the link labeled "Our World-Famous ShapeShifter!"

He had to swallow back bile as he saw a Ringmaster snap his whip in front of a green leopard. At the snap, it morphed into a horse, which the ringmaster rode around the ring yelling up to the crowd. Robin had seen enough. That was definitely Beast Boy, and that was good enough for him.

He got on his cycle and headed off toward the town the Freak Show was hiding out. He found the tattered tents and faded flags easily enough; but there was no crowd. Not one customer prowled the midway. Perfect.

Robin found the owner easily. Freddy had gained a little weight, but it was definitely the same man. He was standing in front of a tiger cage, poking a clearly pregnant female tiger with a long pole and cackling. Robin felt a cold wave of rage wash over him and clenched his hands. This man was going to pay for what he did to Beast Boy. And he was going to pay tonight.

The next morning dawned bright and clear in Titan's Tower. Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy were all eating waffles that Cyborg was lovingly preparing. Robin suddenly appeared in the room, tossing a newspaper onto the table casually. He accepted a plate of the crisp golden cakes from Cyborg and joined the morning banter with the rest of the team lightheartedly. Raven, bored with the friendly debate between Starfire and Beast Boy over the latest monster movie, picked up the paper and started flipping. She paused on a page and frowned deeply.

"Hey guys, listen to this." She said in her signature monotone, though it had a slight edge. "This freak show burned down in Carbon City last night, and when the fire department people showed up they found so much evidence of animal abuse the owner is going to jail for a long time." She sounded angry, but no one could tell if that was just her normal tone. "They found a pregnant tiger tied up with barbed wire. That is just sick."

"Oh!" Starfire put a hand to her mouth. "That is most horrible! I am glad such a man is going to put in the jail!"

Cyborg paused in the middle of flipping a waffle. The breakfast food landed on his head, but he ignored it. "What was the name of the freak show?"

"Freddy's Freaks and Fun." Raven said; the disgust was evident in her voice. Cyborg was quiet. Robin glanced over at Beast Boy. The changeling had gone pale, and his eyes were wide. He was gripping the side of the table tightly.

"Get this; he said a monster set fire to his show. He described this monster as having a long flap on the back of its neck and rings around its eyes. He said the monster talked to him too. The cops think he's cracked." Raven actually sounded amused.

Cyborg turned around. "Hey, Robin, can I talk to you for a second?" The older teen grabbed the leader and pulled him into the hallway.

"Did you have anything to do with that?" He demanded, folding his arms.

Robin didn't say anything.

"You can't be a crazy vigilante. What we do is close enough to the line. You can't just jump over that line like that!" Cyborg was furious. "What were you thinking? Setting fire to the freak show?"

"I didn't set fire to the freak show. I did speak to him; I told him he was going to pay for everything he has done. He went to attack me, I punched him, and he knocked off a lantern on the tiger cage and started the fire himself."

Cyborg relaxed slightly. "So you didn't go there to start a fire?"

"No." Robin said. "I did not go there to start a fire."

"Okay. I have to say I am not sorry the guy got busted." The older teen smiled. "Good for you."

The two went back into the kitchen and resumed their previous activities. Robin noticed the conversation had changed off of the fire onto something different. He looked down at the abandoned newspaper; he saw a claw mark on the picture of Freddy. He glanced sharply at Beast Boy and saw he green boy laughing and looking more relaxed then he had in a long time. Robin hid a smile; he did not regret what he had done. And he did not lie to Cyborg; he did not go to Freddy's freak show to start a fire.

He had gone there to kill him.

He had not even considered the ramifications of what he planned to do until he had hit the man. Then he heard his mother's voice, his father's voice, and Bruce's voice…all screaming at him to stop. He had almost been sick; how could he even think of doing something like that? He had left as quickly as he could, driving back to Titan's Tower at breakneck speeds. Robin shuddered slightly; Slade was right, Robin could be ruthless. He would just have to keep that ruthlessness in check.

He noticed the others staring at him.

"Pass the syrup." He said, hoping the slight tremor in his voice would go unnoticed. He accepted the jug from Beast Boy, promising himself that he would never act that rashly again. That is…unless one of his family was threatened.

Yes, he could be ruthless. But only when it came to protecting the people he loved. That was something Slade could never hope to understand.

That was the one line that separated Slade and Robin. Robin was going to make sure that that line was not crossed.

But that was going to be hard.


End file.
